


Wings of Freedom

by Feneris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Community: snkkink, Dragons, Gen, dragon riding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 15:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feneris/pseuds/Feneris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long ago, just as titans now rule the earth, dragons once terrorized the skies. But those great beasts were hunted to extinction generations ago, their existence now only a fading memory.</p><p>That is until three children from Shiganshina discover a small clutch of mysterious eggs tucked away in a cave...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wings of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> 'Nother fill for the SnK Kink Meme.
> 
> This one was basically for a SnK dragonriders fic. As you might have figured out I have a soft spot for AUs. 
> 
> This one was kinda fun to do, though I still stress at some of the artistic liberties I took here.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this, and there is more of my fills from the kink meme to come.

_Long ago, humanity was not only plagued by the depravities of the titans, who walk the land unchallenged. They were also terrorized by the dragons, the great winged worms of the sky. But unlike the titans, humanity prevailed against these beasts. Our bravest warriors traced them to their caves and slew them. We burned their nests and smashed their eggs. We hunted them to the last beast, and rid our skies of them forever._

_Rest in peace hunters of old. The dragons no longer exist to ravage your herds and burn our towns._

\---

It was Eren who first found the nest. Three white, speckled eggs nestled in a depression in the warm volcanic sand in the back of a hotspring cave.

His first response, of course, is to run back to town so that he can tell Armin and Mikasa about this wonderful thing he has found. His friends are just as fascinated by the eggs as he is, and they all agree that this will be a secret. One only they know.

\---

They return to the cave everyday to look at the eggs. Eren is sure he hears something moving around inside. They have looked through every book of Armin's, but they can find no egg described that matches these ones. Most are the wrong color or pattern, or are simply too small to possibly be the same as these. They match the eggs of no known bird or reptile.

Then one day they hatch.

It's just like any other day, the three of them are sitting in the cave, eating lunch and fantasizing about what they would see if they ever got beyond the walls, when one of the eggs gives a sudden jerk and lets out a chirp.

Suddenly everything is forgotten. They crowd around the nest, watching as one of the eggs cracks, and a small, green, scaly head pokes out. It's followed by a pair of tiny clawed forearms, a pair of wings, back legs, and a long whip-like tail. It's siblings follow shortly after, exactly like the first, only one is a bright gold, and the other a deep dark red.

"I... I think they're dragons!" Armin gasps.

"Dragons?" Eren asks, curiosity shining in his eyes.

"Monsters from old legends," Armin explains. "Giant lizards that could fly and breath fire."

Eren looks down at the green one, which is sitting on his lap and letting out insistent chirps.

"Ummm... I think it's hungry," Eren remarks. "What do dragons eat?"

Armin merely looks bewildered, completely at a loss as to how to answer.

A sudden burst of happy chirping draws their attention to Mikasa, who has grabbed a piece of dried meat, and is ripping off small chunks which she is feeding to the red one. Soon Eren has the green one perched on his arm, chewing on a chunk of chicken, while Armin had the gold one curled around his neck, snapping berries out of the air.

They're back every day after that. Food stashed away in their clothing to feed their new friends.

\---

The dragons grow fast. When they are the size of a house cat, Armin brings up a book of names, and they name the dragons.

Eren names the green one Shadis, after a former commander of the Scouting Legion. The red one is christened Sythis by Mikasa, after an ancient treasure guardian. Armin names the gold one Ikaris, after an ancient wise dragon.

When the dragons are about the size of a large dog, they begin speaking.

Its just like any other day, the three of them are making their way to the cave with the day's supply of food, when Shadis sticks his head out of the entrance.

"Eren! You bring food?"

The possibilities open up. Within weeks, the dragons are as articulate as any human. They start bringing books with them and begin teaching the dragons how to read. Ikaris in particular takes to the skill with enthusiasm, devouring every book Armin can bring him.

They teach the dragons, as best as they understand, about the Walls, about humanity, about their families and everything they have experienced in their short lives. The dragons learn rapidly, absorbing everything they are presented, right down to the personalities of their humans.

By the time they are a year old, the dragons already started to fly. Soon they are big enough to take the three of them on short rides through the trees.

The forest echoes with Eren's whoops of delight as Shadis darts and dives around the branches.

\---

Shiganshina burns. Carla Jeager struggles in the grasp of the titan as it raises her to its mouth.

It bites down, and Eren's mother is no more.

Eren's cries of anguish are drowned out by a shriek of pure fury. Shadis suddenly swoops down out of the sky, slamming into the titan's neck from behind. He's a flurry of claws, fangs, and fire as he lashes out at any bit of flesh within reach. The titan pitches forward, it's body already evaporating.

Sythis suddenly lands in front of Eren and Mikasa. She casts a suspicious glare at Hannes. "Get away from them," she hisses, sending a small jet of fire shooting at the man.

Hannes doesn't waste any time. Within seconds he's on his feet, sprinting for the gate.

Before Eren can even open his mouth to protest, Shadis is landing beside him. "Get on." he orders. "We'll fly you out of here. Ikaris has already gone to get Armin!"

There's no choice then. Eren and Mikasa climb onto their dragons' backs, sliding into the spot at the neck, just in front of the wings. The dragons take off, slowly gaining altitude as they rise up the length of the walls. Halfway up they are joined by Ikaris, Armin clinging to his back.

The dragon's claws dig into the stone as they reach the top of the walls and hurtle themselves over the edge before the surprised guardsmen can do anything. They dive, their wings catching the wind, and suddenly they are soaring over the river. Eren can see the riverboat down below, its decks crowded with refugees fleeing the titans. But that passes quickly as the dragon's flight takes them over the land, far away from the titans.

They find refugee in a cave in the middle of a sheer cliff face, too high for any titan to reach. By then, the dragons are too exhausted to fly further.

\---

Its been two years and, despite all odds, they have survived.

The dragons prey on the herds of sheep and cattle which have gone feral since the fall of Wall Maria. Additional supplies can be obtained through late night scavenging runs into the abandoned towns and villages.

While the dragon's strength grows every day, they do not yet posses the stamina to fly the rest of the way to Wall Rose with their humans on their backs.

Then one day, Mikasa and Sythis return, a sheep clutched in Sythis's talons.

"I think we can do it," Mikasa announces. "We can finally make it to Wall Rose."

Eren and Armin jump to their feet in shock. "You sure?" Eren asks excitedly.

"We're sure," Mikasa confirms, turning to Sythis.

"We did some test flights around the cave," Sythis adds. "I easily flew the distance needed and I am not yet tired."

"Finally," Eren cheers. "Finally!"

"Are we sure we want to go to Wall Rose?" Ikaris suddenly speaks.

Eren turns to him confused. "Where else would we go?"

"Wall Maria is just as far. Maybe even less so. We could go there."

"Why would we want to go to Wall Maria?" Armin asks. He has a curious look on his face, as if wondering what his dragon is getting at. "I mean, at least with Wall Rose we have the city beyond it and no titans. What's beyond Wall Maria?"

"The sea," Ikaris replies. "Think of it. Why should we go towards the walls, when everything we want is beyond them?"

"But the titans..." Mikasa raises her voice in protest.

"Our wings are strong and wide," Ikaris counters. "We can fly faster than any titan can run, and higher than any could reach. The titans do not move at night. If we fly in the day and rest at night, then there will be no place where they could stop us from going."

There's silence, as everyone thinks on his words. "You think we can do it?" Armin asks at length.

Ikaris nods. "Yes."

"Then lets!" Eren suddenly jumps up. "What's stopping us?!"

"Yes!" Shadis roars. "I say tomorrow we do it! We have enough supplies, we can set off with the rise of the sun!"

Mikasa and Sythis exchange a glance. Then a nod.

"Okay."

\---

They sit there, perched on the edge of Wall Maria as the sun slowly rises, staining the sky with bright colors. For once, there is no wall in the way.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Armin says for his place on Ikaris's back. "I mean, we've dreamed about it for so long. It feels strange to be actually doing it."

"What do you think we'll find?" Mikasa asks quietly.

Eren turns to them, a grin on his face. "Only one way to find out!" and Shadis leaps off the wall, his wings spread wide. Sythis and Ikaris follow.

The titans below raise their arms to grab them, but they pull up well out of their reach. Shadis even sends a mocking fireball into the face of one particularly ugly titan. The dragon's wings beat strong, as they fly off towards the sunrise.

\---

Two hundred years later...

Ikarat's claws dug into the stone as the dragon gripped the top of the walls.

"I don't believe it," Carla whispers. "The great walls the Firstriders fled with their dragons. I didn't think they actually existed."

There is a deep hum of agreement from within Ikarat's chest. The dragon shifts its position on the wall, turning around to face the gathered Crusaders.

"I say we head back at once!" one voice pipes up. "The Eyrie needs to hear about this!"

"We should at least explore," another counters. "There may still be humans living here! At the very least we should bring back something that will prove our claims!"

Arguments fly back and forth. Some want to return immediately, some want to investigate further, and some want to ignore the walls entirely. Then a voice raises above the rest.

"Are there titans?"

Silence descends on the Crusaders, they turn to look at Carla.

"Yes," she confirms. "Lots of titans."

"Then we know what to do!" one dragon suddenly yells. "Remember the words of Saint Jeager of the Firstriders!"

Carla draws her rifle from its place at her back and raises it above her head.

"Kill them all!" She shouts. "Hunt them wherever they may be found! Suffer not a single titan to live!"

A great roar of approval reverberates from the assembled crusaders, so loud that it shakes the whole wall.

The sky goes dark as one thousand dragons and their riders take to the air.


End file.
